title: Differential diagnosis of orofacial pain and temporomandibular disorder.
abstract: When a patient complains of orofacial pain, health care providers must make a correct diagnosis. Doing this can be difficult, since various signs and symptoms may not be specific for 1 particular problem or disorder. One initially should formulate a broad differential diagnosis that can be narrowed after analysis of the history and examination. In this article, orofacial pain is categorized as being caused by: intracranial pain, headaches, neuropathic pain, intraoral pain, temporomandibular disorder, cervical pain, pain related to anatomically associated structures, referred pain, or mental illness.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Medicine, Carolinas Medical Center, PO Box 32861, Charlotte, NC 28232, USA. anil.kumar@carolinas.org
authors.forename: Anil
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.forename: Michael T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Brennan
mesh_terms: D001927:Brain Diseases / Q000150:complications; D002054:Burning Mouth Syndrome / Q000150:complications; D003769:Dental Occlusion, Traumatic / Q000150:complications; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004368:Dry Socket / Q000150:complications; D005157:Facial Pain / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D020773:Headache Disorders / Q000150:complications; D006801:Humans; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000150:complications; D019547:Neck Pain / Q000150:complications; D009437:Neuralgia / Q000150:complications; D053591:Referred Pain; D010497:Pericoronitis / Q000150:complications; D010518:Periodontitis / Q000150:complications; D010808:Physical Examination; D011602:Psychophysiologic Disorders / Q000150:complications; D013705:Temporomandibular Joint Disorders / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis*; D018781:Tension-Type Headache / Q000150:complications; D014098:Toothache / Q000150:complications